Ashley POVI wasn't stupid enough to believe it right away. He might have, due to amnesia, decided to change the status message to nothing. But luckily, WhatsApp saves any edits to one's profile.Quickly, I checked Jayden's profile history but found no recent changes to the description box. Frowning, I read through his entire history. Besides the occasional semi-serious selfie, most of his gallery consisted of photos of different environments. Streets, cathedrals, landscapes. Actually, he had a keen eye for photography.It's just that there are no post-amnesia edits on any of his status messages. And there was not the slightest sign that he was in a romantic relationship. Not at all.Well, to be fair, I don't really take relationship status on social media as a reference for whether or not a couple is happy - together or not - but still, this felt weird. Jayden didn't seem like the type to brag about romantic things, but Blair Anderson was definitely that type. She definitely wouldn't
Ashley POV"What did you find on your laptop?" I tried to ask.His eyes bore into mine. "I didn't have time to check," he admitted. "I was busy looking through my phone and... doing whatever I was doing earlier." He snorted. "WhatsApp is very... interesting, to say the least.""Oh," I said quickly. "So you must have read all the messages?""No, I couldn't bring myself to."I frowned. "Why not?""It feels bad," he said quietly, his gaze falling to the floor. "Like I'm peeking into someone's private business.""But..." I began."I know," he cut in. "I shouldn't feel bad because it's all my personal business." He suddenly turned his whole body towards me, resting his elbows on the back of the couch and resting his cheek against his knuckles. He held his broken arm in his lap. "But that girl... Blair. I couldn't read anything. I couldn't even click on the chat room."I swallowed, then averted my eyes. I should have gotten used to the sharp pain tearing at my heart by now, but it still hur
Ashley POVMy heart was jumping up and down irregularly. There was hope refreshing my sense of hearing, and I beamed at him. "Really?"Jayden nodded slowly, once. He still looks incredulous, but a glimmer of memory beckons in his big caramel brown eyes. "Yes," he replied."What do you remember?" I asked cautiously. "And how?"All of a sudden I realized that had he remembered anything about my engagement to him, I would have faced a huge new mess that I had no idea how to handle. Before, I hadn't considered the time I spontaneously lied to him about the meaning of the ring, given how it had mercifully kept me out of his love life. But now, I couldn't help but doubt the same decision. I just hoped things would work out between me and him thanks to that, but what if that jerk could only recover from his amnesia by remembering my engagement to him? What a scary thought."1024," he muttered. "Doesn't that sound familiar to you?""It's your cell phone code," I replied hesitantly, not yet un
Ashley POVAt the same time, I stood up and stepped away from him, offering a hand. "Get up," I said, my voice somehow managing to break through without faltering in the slightest. "The floor is dirty."Jayden seemed to hesitate for a moment before he pocketed his phone, took my hand, and stood up. "Like there are dust particles everywhere. How often do you get someone to clean this place?"To my relief, he sounded normal and smiled even though I felt as if there was an open wound in my chest. "Twice a week when it's just me, twice a week if dad's home, and every day if mom's around." I shrugged at his wide eyes. "If anyone important was going to visit, mom would put people here permanently, three days before and after their visit."Jayden whistled, whether that meant he was impressed or just surprised, I couldn't tell. Then he frowned. "But I don't see anyone here. They're not invisible, right?""They only come on Mondays and Fridays," I explained, "right before lunchtime.""Has anyo
Ashley POV"How long have you been awake?" I asked immediately, afraid he'd see me changing."Since you touched me. With your cold fingers, I thought death was coming for me."Judging from his carefree tone of voice, I knew that he meant to joke. But his sentence evoked more than a decade of dormant memories about him, about the many black bruises and the hollow expression of a boy when confronted with questions, and it made me feel uncomfortable. No, it was more than that. I felt sick."If I were Death, I hope you'd be ready to fight me," I said quietly. "With all your strength. And you won't give in, no matter what I try to tempt you with."Jayden furrowed his brows and his caramel brown eyes hardened slightly. "Ashley...""I'm being serious." I clenched my fists and felt his grip on my wrists tighten as my muscles tensed. "I know I promised not to bring it up again, even to you. But I've been carrying too much responsibility lately. So please forgive me for this time."His eyes wat
Ashley POVGiven the rather intimate events of the previous night, I had no idea what would happen the next morning. At the very least, I thought there would be some awkwardness, or avoiding each other's gaze. But Jayden had already made breakfast and was waiting for me by the kitchen counter when I was awakened by the shrill alarm tone and managed to drag my still sleepy body into the kitchen. He looked very calm, his hair wet from his shower, and even threw me a teasing smile when I appeared.Wasn't I just dreaming the whole thing?Albeit, given the emotional turmoil inside me, the pain as well as my faith, I knew that it couldn't be happening. It was too real. And I subconsciously blushed back at his smile, even though I pretended not to."Breakfast is ready and done," he said as he put two bowls of oatmea
Ashley POVIn that instant, I felt my heart stop beating. Or perhaps it was time itself that no longer made room for my brain to analyze and think about his words. I felt both awestruck and dazed, and my mind seemed completely overwhelmed and unable to comprehend what was happening, no matter how hard I tried.Because, yeah, Jayden had an amnesic state. He couldn't recognize his girlfriend whom he deeply loved a week ago, but he knew he had her. But still, was that scumbag really trying to flirt with me?I practically let out a sigh. Why is he making everything so complicated? Why can't he remember Blair, that girlfriend of his who is so dear to him? Why was he so cruel to me?And worst of all, why am I starting to question the decision to let him go?"What are yo
Ashley POVI darted quickly in and out of the room to grab a lighter purse from the wardrobe, then waited for him in the hall to get ready. I had finished shifting all my essentials from my backpack into the purse and was sitting on a stool that was combined with a shoe rack, playing a game on my phone about ten minutes before he was done.All he seemed to be doing was changing into a pair of tight black jeans, wearing a gray beanie on his head, and dangling a black mask strap over one ear. He carried a fashionably wrinkled black winter coat with a high collar in the crook of his arm and grabbed a pair of dark brown leather boots with his healthy hand.I frowned at him. "What took you so long? David hates waiting.""It's his job, isn't it?" he snorted as he tossed the coat onto my lap and the shoes onto the f
Ashley POVThe next day on the way to the first classroom, Eva abruptly lunged at me outside the main building. Although I had expected it, she still managed to catch me by surprise as she pulled me to the side of the road.“Is it true?” she asked, her voice trembling with anticipation. She was wearing a light midnight blue coat with a hint of red on her lips and nails. “Are they really going out?”“Yes,” I replied simply, trying to release her grip on my wrist, but her grip was strong, and alas, so was she.“Do you have any idea what this means? For them as celebrities? For the industry as a whole?”“Eva,” I scolded sternly as several passersby looked at me curiously. “Our class starts in less than five minutes. Do we really have to do this now?”“Now or later during class, you decide.”“You're a nasty friend.”“Say it for both of us then.”Realizing that she wasn't going to give in, I gave up on getting away from her with a loud groan. Instead, I pulled her further out of earshot an
Ashley POVKnowing that Jared still had office work to do, while I still had college work to do, we decided to go our separate ways after that. As we waited for David to arrive to pick me up, Jared went to the nearest secluded area where he could smoke a cigarette, while I checked my phone to see if there were any notifications.To my astonishment, Jayden had sent me a picture of his bandage-free, pink-colored right arm, with a text.16.45 - Freedom! They told me not to worry too much about the arm, but it was technically healed and functioning again. Time to see if I can get you in a wrestling match again.I gave a small snort in reply, but the smile that appeared on my face was lighter than air.17.58 - I never lost when we were kids. Don't try to trick me. I'm not going to strangle your freshly recovered arm either, you idiot.His reply comes shortly after.18.00 - Come on! Live up to your nickname, Miss Violent! When are you coming home?It seems like he's in a happy mood, but I c
Ashley POVHis perspective reminded me of how Miles would explain things. It felt like he was making a valid point, yet there was one crucial element he was missing. And that was...“My convictions,” I said honestly.Jared’s expression remained unchanged, surprisingly, but I thought I caught a flicker of surprise— or maybe even admiration— in his eyes. Then he blinked, and whatever it was, it disappeared. “I see,” he said. “But I stand by my intentions. One day, I want to love you.”I felt my cheeks heat up. Jared carefully placed a hand atop my head, and as he smiled at me, there was a shyness in his expression that I never would have imagined coloring anything he said or did. The weight of his gaze remained steady, yet it was mingled with such earnest determination that it left me almost incapable of looking away.Oh, how my heart raced wildly when he spoke his next words.“And hopefully, you’ll come to do the same for me.”Before I could react, Jared stepped away, glancing at Sylvi
Ashley POVI frowned at him, but he simply turned his focus back to the row of displays on the shelf. My pout deepened. Even though we had spent over a month getting to know each other, the true nature of his personality as well as his past was still shrouded in mystery. Sure, I see tiny details of his differences, but I don't feel that I've gotten any deeper than just his façade. His default neutral expression and often unreadable demeanor indicated he wasn’t someone easy to approach. Yet, since he had influential and wealthy friends, I knew there had to be more behind his rigid and stoic exterior.I wondered when— or if— I would ever get to see that side of him. With time, perhaps.Maybe.“What about this one?”While my mind wandered, my body followed Jared around the jewelry store. He stood in the center of the store when he caught my attention, his gaze fixed on a set of rings that appeared slightly more special than the others due to their placement in a separate glass cube.“Whi
Ashley POVI rolled my eyes and used my other hand as a barrier to block my vision from seeing something I didn't want to see. “You'll never know,” I stated. “Better to be safe before you regret it.”“I'll go change in the bathroom,” he said with a grunt. “I just wanted you to know about the appointment.”His figure disappeared, and I let out a breath that I didn't realize I was holding. The allure of his scent was too strong for me, for some reason. “Why?” I asked without turning around.“Would you like to come along with me?”I frowned. “I can't,” I said quietly. “I'm going to see Jared that day. He and I... we're getting a ring.”It wasn't my idea, nor was it Jared's idea to do that. The first week in April, my parents returned here for a short break and to meet up with Jared before they were forced to return to London. According to my mom, their business venture there hadn't been entirely successful, and still needed more time before they came to a final agreement. Despite the bit
Ashley POVAs time ticked by, March ended and April slowly turned into May, I found myself and Jayden drifting further and further apart. It wasn't a deliberate move by either of us, or at least not a deliberate effort. It just happened.Jayden was spending more time at the dance studio, and he started coming home with a sore throat some days when he decided to hum along to the choreography. He started singing and reading the lyrics whenever he had time in my apartment, and despite me pretending not to notice, I actually did. I loved his voice, pleasant and velvety like that, soothing my mind and body. And he kept showing drastic improvement with each passing week. Also, when he wasn't dancing or singing or memorizing song lyrics, he went and exercised.“I'm getting fat,” he told me as he read comics on the extra bed one night.I was editing an essay at the time, and didn't think much of it until he mentioned it. “I guess not,” I replied bluntly with a shrug.“I've gained almost five
Ashley POVHe didn't speak, but he didn't need to. His silence was enough. However, the stubborn part of me wanted to push him to bring up the topic... more specifically, how he had been affected by his father.“What about you?” I continued cautiously.His eyes narrowed slightly as they scanned my face. “You know about Jayden,” he pointed out.I averted my eyes.“How long have you known?”He didn't sound accusatory, or angry. No, instead, there was something more familiar, something I also felt related to his... childhood.“Too long,” I replied stiffly. I didn't like being reminded of my mistakes, so I replied automatically, defensively with, “You?”“Me too.”And when my eyes locked with his, I saw that it was there. The endless shame, regret, and guilt. It reflected a part deep inside me, so much so that I could hardly bear to look at it.But I forced myself to do so. Because if I hated it, so did Jared. Yet he was brave enough to stick to his stance.Dinner ended shortly after that.
Ashley POVLooking at the menu, I already knew what I wanted to order. My mom's favorite dish at The Monarch was pasta with a sauce made from roasted oysters, so I went with that. By the time the waiter returned with our drinks, Jared and I were ready to order. She took the menus from us, and as I watched Jared pour himself a glass of dark red liquid, I decided to strike up a conversation that would hopefully shed some light on our upcoming wedding and Jayden. It took me a few precious minutes to gather my courage and organize my thoughts, but I finally went ahead with it.I started the conversation with a light topic. “How was Europe?”Jared quietly observed the interior design of the restaurant and kept doing so as he answered. “Warm,” he said, “and dirtier than I imagined. But also incredibly beautiful in moments I didn't think possible.”“How so?” I asked.“I often hitchhike with my group of friends,” he told me as he raised the wine glass to his lips. He took a slow sip, his eyes
Ashley POVAs Jared and I walked out of the building, I spotted David parked and waiting in the car. But instead of going over to him, Jared stopped at the end of the concrete steps and pulled out a small red cardboard package. It was an automatic action, I could see that, from the way he pulled a lighter from the same pocket and pointed it at the cigarette already tucked between his lips.“Wait,” I chided, ”You can't smoke in here.”He glanced at me. “Why not?” he muttered, stroking his cigarette.Peeking over my shoulder, I glanced at the security guard outside the entrance. “That's illegal,” I said after making sure they weren't watching us.He didn't speak, but his lighter stopped halfway to his lips.“I'm not joking,” I continued. “It's illegal in almost all public places.”“I see.” He hurriedly lowered the lighter and stuffed the cigarette into his shirt pocket. “Where else can I go?”“Er.” I scratched my cheek and looked around for the smoking booth shyly. I didn't find one. “G